Thread: Found My Dream Job

So yesterday I began a second job that I desperately wish was my full time job. I get to drive rental cars all over New England for Enterprise. Cars in Boston need to go to Portland, or Bangor, or Manchester, we go get them. We work two days a week, eleven hours each day, and that is not enough for me. In two days i drove over 700 miles and I wanted more. Cruising down the highway in a 2013 Ford Expedition with 7,000 miles on it, love it.

I even got myself into a W-Body. I drove a 2012 Impala with the 3.6L from Portland to Bangor. I was surprised to find that it had more giddy-up than my 3800, and it also tached about 500RPM lower on the freeway.


I cant wait until next Monday...

That enjoyment of driving new/different cars all the time wears off, though. I know people who were car porters for brand new cars, they loved it for a while, but it just wore off.

Congratz, though. Hope it goes well.

after a while you do get use to it. Try that for the dealerships much more fun. You get to beat it a little then hand it in lol.

Hopefully not before the break-in period ends.

Originally Posted by 02NavyBlue

Hopefully not before the break-in period ends.

This is why you should factory order a new vehicle instead of buying off the lot.

Originally Posted by Chadgervais

I drove a 2012 Impala with the 3.6L from Portland to Bangor. I was surprised to find that it had more giddy-up than my 3800, and it also tached about 500RPM lower on the freeway.

Why did that surprise you? That motor has been putting out a decent amount of power since its inception. Even the very first version found in the CTS back in '04 was 250hp+. The version found in the 2012 & up Impalas are 302hp (303 for 2014). Yes, that's right. Same amount of power as the LS4 powered V8 w-bodies put out.

The 3.6L is the new 3800. It's the motor they've invested all their time, money and research into (working out the timing chain bugs, etc) in order to make it their go to engine, thus why they're found in almost every GM car that offers a V6, just as the 3800 used to be for the last couple decades. And considering it has much more advanced technology compared to the ancient, low tech 3800, it definitely puts out more power than the L67 even in n/a form.

That'd be a cool job. I'd do that in a heartbeat!

so who wants to help me 3.6 swap my first gen? lolol

but seriously, this is an awesome job. even if you get tired of it, its still an awesome job.

Originally Posted by RareGMFan

Why did that surprise you?

The 3.6L is the new 3800. It's the motor they've invested all their time, money and research into (working out the timing chain bugs, etc) in order to make it their go to engine, thus why they're found in almost every GM car that offers a V6, just as the 3800 used to be for the last couple decades. And considering it has much more advanced technology compared to the ancient, low tech 3800, it definitely puts out more power than the L67 even in n/a form.

I just thought that generally more displacement meant more power. I had to look up the 3.8 vs 3.6. I was surprised to see the 3.6 having 100 more HP.

As for the 3800 being "ancient, low tech", if it aint broke... I can't think of too many other American made gasoline engines that will run nearly trouble free for 400+k. (The Ford 4.6 in the Crown Vics are notable) Our engine has existed in some iteration since 1962 when the Buick Fireball V6 came out. And the fact that there are so many 3800s out there, in such a wide variety of cars, makes them relatively cheap and easy to find parts for. I love being able to go to a JY and have a list of cars that I can use parts from, Impala, Monte, Regal, Lesabre, 88 etc. I could see my car running for another 100 or 200k before needing a new motor.

Originally Posted by ctracer

so who wants to help me 3.6 swap my first gen? lolol

That would be freakin sweet. Prolly wouldnt be easy though, you would have snowballing compatibility issues.

Originally Posted by 02NavyBlue

That enjoyment of driving new/different cars all the time wears off, though. I know people who were car porters for brand new cars, they loved it for a while, but it just wore off.

Congratz, though. Hope it goes well.

Working at a Buick GMC dealership for 2 years. No enjoyment at all. Snooz fest over here

Originally Posted by Chadgervais

I just thought that generally more displacement meant more power. I had to look up the 3.8 vs 3.6. I was surprised to see the 3.6 having 100 more HP.

Even with a more significant difference like V6 vs V8, let alone 3.6L vs. 3.8L V6, there are too many variables involved to simplify the formula that way. Forced induction vs. n/a, pushrod vs. DOHC, etc. While it's quite often the case, it should never be assumed that larger displacement = more power. But anyway, that's where my statement came in about the 3.8L being old as dirt technology vs. a modern day motor. It's only natural that a newer designed motor is going to produce more power. Otherwise, if you don't take the benefits of the age difference into consideration, and just go with more displacement = more power, then a 1979 GM 305 V8 should blow the doors off your GP (hint: It won't, it only made around 180 hp at best)

Originally Posted by Chadgervais

As for the 3800 being "ancient, low tech", if it aint broke...

It might not be broken, but it certainly needed some major updating or replacing in order to be competitive. A 3.8L V6 still only putting out 200hp by '08 was not exactly impressive. It's a solid motor, but it was way behind their rivals performance-wise. It was only used for so long because it was just a very economical route for them to take considering how well developed the motor was, how cheap they could produce it, and how easily they could put it into almost everything they make. The 3.6L DOHC is GM FINALLY attempting to have a more modern, powerful motor. The early ones are a bit of a disaster due to the timing chain issues, but that's to be expected when you're basically starting from scratch on an engine. They WILL eventually perfect it, and it will become the new 3800 for them (found under the hood of almost everything).

Originally Posted by Chadgervais

I can't think of too many other American made gasoline engines that will run nearly trouble free for 400+k.

Neither can I, 3800s included. Don't get me wrong, it's a very solid workhorse of a motor, and if taken care of, can give you a LOT of miles, but saying they run nearly trouble free for 400k+ miles is what's called a hyperbole. Are there ones out there that have hit that high? Maybe. Though none I've personally seen or read about. Hell, I've rarely seen people claiming 300k miles on ANY generation of 3800 in the 11+ years I've been active in the a-body, h-body, w-body, etc communities. Certainly not enough for even THAT to be expected, let alone enough data to support the claim of 400k+ nearly trouble free miles.

Anyhow, I get the point that you're saying the 3800 is solid, which I already acknowledged in my initial response. However, GM has had plenty of capable workhorse motors that will get you a lot of miles if not abused and taken care of. My first 6000 STE had 225k+ miles on the original 2.8L before it blew, and that was thanks to me not realizing it had developed a small oil leak until it was too late. Otherwise, that engine still had PLENTY of life left in it. Had no problem squealing the wheels to hell from a stop. There's also videos on YouTube of people trying to kill that motor on purpose by running it without oil, or pegging the accelerator to the ground with the tires on a slick surface while the car is stationary, etc. In almost every case, it took the idiots doing this 5 minutes for the engine to spin a bearing or throw a rod and finally seize up. My dad's '79 Caprice went through 2 or 3 transmissions, but still had the original 305 V8 (yaaaaay 145 hp!!!) in it with 330k+ miles when my dad finally decided to trade it in for a car that was 20 years newer.

Longevity has seldom been a problem for GM motors. Performance when compared to cars in their same respective class, on the other hand, has been questionable to put it mildly until recently. That's where the change over to the 3.6L comes in. It's a motor they can detune to the likes of 240 hp for milder applications, all the way on up to 323 hp like in the newest V6 Camaro. A LOT more versatility than the "one size fits all" solution of the 200 hp 3800 Series II & III. And the new Cadillac CTS and XTS will be getting a twin-turbo version of the 3.6L which is supposed to be 420 hp. So a nearly 100 hp gain at the LEAST over its n/a counterpart, where as a factory blower added 60 hp at the BEST for the 3800. It's a night and day difference as far as what the new 3.6L is capable of, and what its potential is. The 3800 was excellent for it's time, but it's outdated. It was time to put it out to pasture.

Well said Rare. You made your point in how many mins? lol

We'll see how well the new engines do when many have 250,000 miles on them.